Abstract
Background
The American Urological Association makes recommendations for evaluation and testing for lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (LUTS/BPH) to help primary care providers and specialists identify LUTS/BPH and harmful related conditions including urinary retention and prostate or bladder cancer. Our understanding of provider adherence to these Guidelines is limited to single-site or nonrepresentative settings.
Methods
We analyzed two insurance claims databases: the Optum® de-identified Clinformatics® Data Mart database for privately insured males aged 40–64 years (N ≈ 1,650,900 annually) and the Medicare 5% Sample for males aged ≥65 years (N ≈ 546,000 annually). We calculated the annual prevalence of LUTS/BPH and comorbid bladder cancer and bladder stones from 2004 to 2013. We additionally examined LUTS/BPH incidence and adherence to testing guidelines in a cohort of men newly diagnosed with LUTS/BPH in 2009.
Results
While LUTS/BPH prevalence and incidence increased with increasing age, evaluation testing became less common. Urinalysis was the most common testing type but was performed in <60% of incident patients. Serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) was the second most common test across age groups (range: 15–34%). Prevalence of comorbid bladder cancer (range: 0–4%), but not bladder stones (range: 1–2%), increased with increasing age.
Conclusions
Although older men were at greater risk of LUTS/BPH than younger men, they were less likely to undergo testing at diagnosis. Recommended testing with urinalysis was poor despite higher prevalence of bladder cancer in older men and a standard recommendation for urinalysis since 1994. Providers should be more cognizant of AUA Guidelines when assessing LUTS/BPH patients.
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Data availability
These analyses were conducted as part of the Urologic Diseases in America annual research report, which appear online at https://www.niddk.nih.gov/about-niddk/strategic-plans-reports/urologic-diseases-in-america.
Material availability
All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission.
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Acknowledgements
The Urologic Diseases in America project was funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) through a contract to Social & Scientific Systems (HHSN276201500204U). JW, EM, and LF are employed by Social & Scientific Systems, and BM of Johns Hopkins University has a subcontract with the company.
Funding
The Urologic Diseases in America project was funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) through a contract to Social & Scientific Systems (HHSN276201500204U).
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Conceived and/or designed the work that led to the submission: CW, LF, JBW, ZK, BRM, and KM. Acquired data: LF and JBW. Played an important role in interpreting the results: CW, LF, JBW, EEM, and KM. Drafted the paper: CW, LF, JBW, EEM, and KM. Revised the paper: all authors. Approved the final version: all authors. Agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved: all authors.
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Welliver, C., Feinstein, L., Ward, J.B. et al. Poor clinical guideline adherence and inappropriate testing for incident lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia. Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis 25, 269–273 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41391-021-00435-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41391-021-00435-z
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